Demon in a Bottle
by Lethotep
Summary: Tony Stark falls off the wagon, and his friends are forced to pick up the slack, while trying to help someone who doesn't really want any of it at the same time. Contains canon welding of both the movies and the comics, in particular the Demon in a Bottle and related story lines. Will contain references to sensitive subject matters.
1. Prologue

**Demon In a Bottle**

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**Main Characters: Tony Stark, James Rhodes, Bruce Banner, Pepper Potts**

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**Summery: Tony Stark falls off the wagon, and his friends are forced to pick up the slack, while trying to help someone who doesn't really want any of it. Contains canon welding of both the movies and the comics, in particular the Demon in a Bottle and related story lines. Will contain references to sensitive subject matters.**

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**Prologue**:

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Steve Rodgers had just gotten back from the gym in the SHEILD complex he'd been staying in since the formation of the Avengers. It was a location shared by him and the two master assassins known as Black Widow and Hawkeye.

Dropping his gym gear on the bed in his room, he started towards the bathroom to take a shower, when suddenly his phone rang.  
Pausing for a moment, he finally turned and searched for the cell phone he'd been given several months ago. Finding it, he stared at the vibrating device before carefully pushing the talk button and raising it to his ear.

"Hello, Steve Rodgers speaking?" he stated formally into the phone.

There was a moment of shuffling and muffled voices before someone spoke, "Hello? Is this Captain America, leader of the Avengers?"

"It is, who is this?" He said.

There was a pause, before the voice spoke again, "I'm just calling to say that Tony Stark will be taking an indefinite hiatus as a member of the Avengers."

Steve froze, had Stark been captured? was this a ransom call?

"Who is this?" he asked again, more steel in his voice than before.

"A friend of his, James Rhodes."

Steve relaxed slightly, the name sounded familiar. Although he'd never actually met the man.

"Is that so?" Steve said, "What is this all about, if Stark needed some time off he should've called Fury. Actually, why isn't he making the call himself?"

There was another pause, "He can't make the call right now I'm afraid, but if you could pass the message on to Fury I would appreciate it."

Steve frowned, "Why can't he make the call, has he been injured?"

There was a sigh, "Something like that. Please just tell Fury he won't be available indefinitely."

"indefinitely? Is it serious?" Steve asked, he may not like the man much, but he'd proven him self to be a capable Avenger and team member when called for.

"Look, I'm not going to say anymore," Rhodes said sounding aggravated, "This is a private matter, but I just thought it fair to give you the heads up. I've got to go."

Steve started to answer, but stopped when he heard the dial tone. Staring at the phone he could only think one thing.

"What on earth was that about?"

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A/N: Okay, so I'm starting another fic without completing my others. But I haven't written anything in so long that I need the practice. This is also what happens when I read my old issues of Iron Man when I should be studying.

I actually have a vague idea where I'm going with this story, and already have the next chapter pretty much done except for proof reading, which I should post soon enough, if only because I hate posting something so short to start with. Also, I hope this doesn't muck up too badly when I upload it, since I've never posted something using a tablet before, making this all new to me. Plus my spell-check is currently mocking me, while I'm running on sleep deprivation. So please point out any mistakes.


	2. Chapter 1: Breaking Point

_**Avengers/Iron Man Fanfiction**_

_**Main Characters: Tony Stark, James Rhodes, Bruce Banner, Pepper Potts, Jennifer Walters**_

_**Summery: Stark falls off the wagon, and his friends are forced to pick up the slack, while trying to help someone who doesn't really want any. Contains cannon welding of both the movies and the comics.**_

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**Chapter One: Breaking Point**

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It had been a month after the Chitauri invasion when things started to go wrong for Tony.

He had, of course, right after the team gotten together to try Shwarma, offered the Avengers room and board in his tower, having plenty of room even with the top few out of commission due to several Loki shaped indentations and other minor structural damages.

Actually, all in all, his tower came out much better than most places in New York city.

He was surprised then, when he had been turned down by all except one. And even that turned out to be a struggle.

Apparently Clint and Natasha didn't feel comfortable being in such a well known location, where they'd be a beacon to the many enemies who would have been made aware of their location due to the their public exposure, and despite Tony's insistence that he had the best security system in the world, they weren't impressed.

Natasha had snidely asked, "And how much use is your so called security system with half the windows broken and a gaping hole at the top? The people we know would get through that in a flash."

Clint had also added to the conversation by pointing out the fact that Loki had been able to take control of the tower without Tony even becoming aware of it, so it could hardly be that great.

Tony had stared sulkily at them, before turning to the others, "What about you guys? How can you say no to free food?"

"I would not be so ungracious as to turn down your invitation Son of Stark," Thor said, "But I must return to Asgard with my brother. Perhaps when I am next able to return I will join you."

"Okay, fair enough." Tony said, "You have an excuse. One that doesn't involve slighting my technology." He added sending a good natured frown towards the two assassins.

Steve looked uncomfortable; he didn't really have a real reason to turn the offer down other than he didn't think he'd be able to stand constant exposure to the man. He didn't have anything against him, not anymore really, but he got the feeling their tentative truce would not survive living in the same area as Stark. There was just no real polite way to say that.

Before he had to speak though, Tony's phone rang.

Pulling the high tech Stark phone from his pocket, Tony's face lit up in a way that surprised the table of Avengers. Not bothering to acknowledge the others, he quickly answered it, "Pepper!" He said happily.

The others could hear a loud, feminine voice, put were unable to make out any words.

"I'm fine! Really!" Tony smiled as he spoke, "Where am I? What do you mean, aren't you in DC?"

He paused to listen before replying, "Really? Wait, you're where? I thought they cordoned off most of the inner city, how did you-? Oh, okay. You're actually pretty close. Yeah. Look, I'll have Jarvis send you the directions, see you in a bit."

After fiddling with his phone a little longer, Tony looked up with a grin, "Pepper's heading over to meet us, she'll be here in about five minutes."

"Who's Pepper?" Bruce asked.

"His CEO, and babysitter." Natasha said.

"That's not true!" He paused, "Okay it may be a little true. But she's also my girlfriend."

There was silence at the table once more with that pronouncement.

"_You _have a girlfriend?" Steve asked.

"No need to sound so shocked." Tony deadpanned.

Steve backtracked, "I didn't mean it like- It's just, you said you were a playboy. I just didn't expect you to have an actual relationship."

Tony smirked, "Neither did I, to be honest."

Just then, a redheaded blur burst through the door and tackled Tony. The rest of the group stiffened into high alert at the sudden commotion.

"What the hell were you thinking?!" the projectile yelled, "You know how I felt when I saw that missed call?"

The team just looked on in confusion, the discussion on living arrangements sidelined.

Tony just smiled at the angry redhead.

The conversation wouldn't arise again until Agent Hill arrived later in the day with transport to a SHEILD living complex, which ultimately ended with Tony dragging the non-committal Bruce back home with him and Pepper like a utterly confused homeless puppy despite any protests.

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It had been two weeks after the invasion before Pepper would let him out of her sight for longer than a few minutes, especially after she found out he's had a drink for the first time in over a year before his being thrown out a window without his armour and then flying a nuke into space, during which he had laughed off her concerns and simply enjoyed being close to her.

Especially when they watched the news together, and she would clutch him suddenly and tightly every time they showed any amateur footage of him disappearing into the dimensional rip, as if making sure he was really still there, all while the voice over proclaimed him a hero for his actions. He would just close his eyes ignoring the screen while Pepper clung to him mumbling into his shoulder that he'd better not do anything like that again. Her warmth and devotion bringing him back to the moment, where nothing else mattered.

After three weeks however, real life returned to the forefront, and Pepper was forced to give him space due to the influx of work she had as CEO that simply could not be put off any longer, but even then she had asked Bruce to keep an eye on him when she wasn't around.

Unfortunately she didn't specify what Bruce should have been watching for, and what she was worried about if she left him alone.

It was in the fourth week after the disaster that the first triggering events occurred. After the initial jubilation and public joy at surviving, the public started to turn.

There wasn't anything that could be done to prevent it really, they could only attempt damage control. With the slow rebuild and clean up of the city, even with Stark Industries backing, such a cataclysmic event could only end in bitterness towards the cause. No matter how indirect.

It was during the fourth week that the first reports were made that the only reason the invasion had been able to occur was due to the "Clean Energy" development and prototyping at Stark Tower. As in any instance where people have a lot of anger, and no real target, they found a scapegoat.

Both Pepper and Tony were suddenly caught up in a tornado of press conferences and board meetings in a losing battle to keep the shares from dropping, during which they only got to see each other during intersecting business time, or when they were too tired to deal with anything other than sleep. In the few times Tony would be given the chance to go to the lab, he would always have a bottle of vodka or whiskey with him, and would usually fall asleep at his desk, only to wake up to Jarvis telling him he had a meeting to go to, or work to do as Iron Man.

Every time, he would review the design work he'd done the night before while still hungover, and give up halfway just telling JARVIS to delete it all, unable to focus as his hand twitched towards some hair of the dog before he left.

When Bruce asked him about his casual drinking in the lab, during the only time the two friends saw each other that week, all he got was a soused smirk and a quip of, "It's only a pick me up, helps clear my mind."

Tony didn't notice how Bruce reacted the first time he offered him a drink, having had a few too many himself by that point. He'd been surprised when he'd turned down the drink though.

"Oh come on Bruce," he grinned, "It's just a drink, it's not like it'll let the Big Guy out. Alcohol is a depressant, it lowers the heart rate." There was a slight slur to his words.

"Sorry Tony, I just don't drink." Bruce murmured, "I have my reasons."

Tony had sulked after that, and had needled Bruce to have a drink almost every time they saw each other afterwards. Or at least, every time they saw each other when Tony was noticeably intoxicated. Which seemed to be most of the time he was down in the lab. Bruce quickly took to avoiding his new friend when he was drunk, being uneasy with the whole thing.

He had his reasons.

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During the second month, things hadn't gotten better. The rebuild of the city was going as fast as it could, but even the most optimistic estimates of a rebuild and recovery timeframe was in the five year range. People had lost lives, homes and jobs, and while the tides had shifted slightly towards blaming the government for its reaction time, Stark Industries was still the most prominent icon of defamation, with Stark Industries becoming the symbol of the "evils of capitalism and unaccountability" in the media, angering Tony incredibly after the work he'd done to change the image of his business.

There had been several lawsuits launched as a result of this, which Pepper was working on with the lawyers almost every day, while he patrolled the city as Iron Man, helping with the rebuild and recuing kittens.

All that good press.

But on some days he found himself forced to let JARVIS take charge of the suit at times, due to impaired spatial control he internally blamed on overwork and lack of sleep.

During the third month, the Avengers had been called in on another mission, which had taken Tony across the country for several weeks, and ended in several cracked ribs, that had only just started to fully heal after the invasion, getting re-broken and giving him a fractured tibia, putting him out of action for just over another week before he finally just ignored the SHEILD doctors and returned back to the city.

While under SHEILD's care however, he'd started detoxing. A process far more painful than the last time he was forced to stop drinking, and his desperation to get back to the city had been ignored.

He could have kissed them when Clint and Thor showed up with a six-pack as an after mission celebration just before the worst of it could kick in. Clint had seemed concerned about giving someone looking so ill-looking alcohol, but Tony quickly dismissed concerns and the three sat in the small hospital room drinking and reminiscing over their battle, something that became a staple for the three while Tony was in the hospital.

It was during this time that the media turned on his work with the Avengers.

Apparently his disappearance from the city during the mission was taken as him losing interest in the rebuild, and apparently proof that any heroics of his were just the distractions of a childish, adrenaline seeking playboy with no real interest in the people.

It was after Tony got back from a meeting with his lawyers about the fresh wave of slander at the start of the fourth month that he lost a friend.

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Tony stumbled into the lab, spilling rum onto his sleeve as he moved to his work station. Smashing the tumbler onto the table hard, he stared angrily into nothing, before bringing up the glass and downing it, with just a slight shudder afterwards.

"Jarvis! Music!" He growled at thin air.

There was a pause, before the AI spoke up with almost a sigh in his voice, "Very well sir. The usual I suppose."

Tony leaned back and opened the drawer containing a half full bottle of vodka as Led Zepplin started playing loudly in the background. Pouring himself a glass he closed the bottle again with shaking hands, before slamming it down in anger.

"Um. Are you okay?" A quiet voice asked, barely heard over the music.

Tony slowly turned towards the sound, making out the hazy shape of Bruce standing with a stack of paper at the other side of the lab.

"Why the hell do you still use paper?" Tony muttered angrily, "It's pointless having paperwork. Paperwork can go die in a fire and I'll laugh at it from my tower of awesome technology."

Bruce spoke quietly and patiently, "You know I prefer to do certain work on paper, it helps me think better. That's why you provided it"

Tony snorted, "Whatever. I don't care." Before taking a swig from the glass, legs on his desk and leaning back dangerously.

Bruce twitched as Tony drank the straight vodka with an ease that could only come from practice.

An ease that set Bruce on edge with old memories.

During his time staying at Stark Tower, he had seen Tony have many drinks down in the lab, and had even seen him pretty drunk several times, although he would quickly leave during those times. He never felt comfortable around alcohol, but had only once managed to even bring it up, only for Tony to deflect it.

But this was different. It wasn't the happy talkative drunk that Tony always seemed to be when Bruce saw him, the Tony he'd managed to tolerate. This was a darkness that caused the Other Guy to stir in the depths of his mind.

He wondered if he should call for Pepper, before remembering that she'd left for a conference in Miami the day before.

He opened his mouth to say something, "Tony-" he started, before the man in question groaned at him.

"I know that tone of voice." He said, "And don't you damn well start on it."

"Look, I'm just worried about you, this isn't a responsible way of dealing with-"

"Like you're one to talk about responsible ways of dealing!" he slurred.

Bruce quickly fought to get a hold of his emotions, "Okay, that's fair, the… Other Guy doesn't always lead me to make the right decisions."

"Like hell! I'm not talking about that, you and the Big Guy manage just fine."

Bruce halted, "Look, Tony you're drunk. I'm not going to talk about this. I'll just call Pepper and tell her I'm-"

Suddenly, and unexpectedly, Tony kicked at one of the computer screens in front of him, knocking things flying and causing a loud crack as it split and started to spark.

"I'm over this! I fucking tried, but I couldn't care less any more. Go ahead and tell Pepper I've been drinking again! I don't care!"

Bruce quickly tried to get a hold of his emotions, as Tony kept yelling and breaking things. Breathing carefully and trying to block out his surroundings, Bruce tried to keep the Other Guy reigned in, but by keeping his anger down it only caused his mind to go to the night It happened.

Seeing his father's drunken anger... The screaming... The blood... His mother not moving... the red stain growing larger... Seeing the man turning towards him...

Bruce finally managed to force the images back, gasping. Finding himself leaning against the wall breathing heavily, the papers he'd been working on scattered across the floor, but he couldn't bring himself to care.

He could feel the Other Guy raging to be let free. Taking a breath, he managed to look up and see Tony turning towards him, surrounded by broken equipment and swaying on his feet.

"I've got to go." He managed to choke out, heading to the door before Tony could move or say anything.

Stumbling out the room and down the hallway to the elevator, he managed to make it to his room without incident. Collapsing against the door after entering, he just sat there breathing until he lost track of how long it'd been.

"Jarvis?" Bruce croaked hoarsely into the silence of his room.

"Yes Doctor Banner?" the voice came.

"I think maybe you should call Pepper and tell her what's happening."

"I'm sorry Doctor Banner," The AI said, sounding it, "But Mister Stark has prevented me from doing so for a while now. I'm afraid if you wish to inform her you'll have to do so yourself."

Bruce sighed, not really wanting to speak anymore, but nodding his head with a quick "Okay." He owed it to Tony, one of the very few people who treated him like a human, to make sure he would get help for... his own monster.

"I have her on the line Doctor Banner."

"Put her through." He managed to say.

"Hello? Bruce?" The tired sounding voice of Pepper echoed in the room, "What's wrong, why did you call?"

Taking a moment to gather himself he finally spoke, "Hey Pepper, sorry to bother you this late, but it's about Tony."

"What's he done now? He hasn't blown up the lab again has he?" She said, with a hint of humour coming through in her voice.

Bruce cringed, "Not quite, but he may as well have."

Pepper must have noticed the tone of his voice, because she suddenly sounded more alert.

"Oh God. Please don't be about to tell me what I think you're about to tell me." She said, sounding wide awake.

"I don't know what you expect, but I will tell you he's drunk and smashing up the lab." He said in a strained voice.

He could almost hear Pepper's head sinking as she spoke, "So he's off the wagon again." She seemed to murmur to herself.

"Wagon? So he actually is an alcoholic?" Bruce asked, already knowing the answer.

With a sigh she spoke again, "Yes, he's managed to say clean for about a year, but I knew there was a tipping point coming with all that's been happening. He hasn't drunk around me yet, but I could tell he was hiding something. I've just- we've both just been so busy I-" There was a choked sob before she spoke again.

"I'm flying back tomorrow. I'll just have to reschedule and turn this into a video conference." She said voice steady again, "This takes precedence."

Bruce let out a breath he didn't realise he'd been holding. "That's good, I'm glad he has someone to help him."

Pepper, being more perceptive than most caught on almost immediately.

"You're leaving." She said flatly.

Bruce cringed, "I'm sorry, I can't stay. I just can't."

Looking down at his hands, cutting into each other his grip was so tight, he added quietly, "Not while he's like this."

Pepper paused, she knew about the Hulk, and had to admit she didn't trust him, no matter how much she liked Bruce, she did have some trouble getting past that. Not that she'd ever let it affect her actions or attitude towards the withdrawn physicist.

"I can see where you're coming from..." she said slowly.

Bruce smiled humorlessly, knowing she didn't see the entire picture. But it wasn't a picture he particularly wanted to colour in for anyone.

"I'll be gone before you get back," Bruce said, "Is he okay to be alone or..?" He left the question hanging.

"I'll phone James." Pepper said quickly, "He knows about Tony's problem. He'll come over and make sure he doesn't choke on his own vomit or anything, don't worry about it."

Bruce gave a sigh of relief. "Thanks Pepper."

"When you leave take your cell phone," Pepper said, "That way I can keep you updated."

"Okay." he murmured, "Sorry to leave you to clean this up."

"It's fine Bruce." Pepper said softly, "Who knows, maybe you leaving will wake him up to reality."

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**A/N**: Okay, despite having written this up ages ago I just couldn't be bothered editing it until now. I'm not sure how this turned out, since I'm writing in a different format to what I'm used to, so feel free to point out any errors that have in all probability slipped through...

But hey, next chapter I'll actually start getting into more plot related stuff, including Rhodey and possibly Jennifer Walters (Bruce's cousin)... once I finally write it. I apologise for the delays, I'm lazy and have no other excuse at this time.


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